Longleaf Hotel

The Longleaf Hotel is a modernized mid-century place on North Dawson Street, at the northern gateway to downtown Raleigh. It was a vintage motor lodge before the renovation, and the longleaf pine it is named for shaped the redesign, from the canopy overhead to the needle-covered floor below.

The Longleaf Lounge is the other half of the appeal, a hangout that pulls in locals as much as hotel guests. The atmosphere is unpretentious with a little swank to it, which is roughly the balance the hotel is after: comfortable and a bit special at once.

What to know

• Bar snacks at the lounge come from North Carolina chef Vivian Howard.
• The hotel sits close to most of what downtown Raleigh has to offer.
• The lounge is described as an authentic reflection of Raleigh, shaped by its guests and staff.
• Southern hospitality is the note the lounge aims for.